


Quiet nights aren’t always what they seem

by ChocolateAndRedbull



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Harley Keener Needs a Hug, Headaches & Migraines, Hurt Harley Keener, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Pepper Potts acting as Harley Keener’s Parental Figure, Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Tony Stark, SO, Sick Character, Sick Harley Keener, Sick Peter, Sick Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Harley Keener's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:21:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25164583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateAndRedbull/pseuds/ChocolateAndRedbull
Summary: Harley’s usually confident, strong, and cocky, until everyone leaves and he needs a favor.OrPepper Potts was having a quiet, relaxing evening.Until a shaky teenager stands in her doorway.
Relationships: Harley Keener & Pepper Potts, Harley Keener & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 7
Kudos: 164





	Quiet nights aren’t always what they seem

Pepper Potts was relaxed. 

For the first time in months, years maybe, she had a night to herself.

Tony was at a board meeting in Chicago and wouldn’t be back until the early hours of the morning, Peter had left on vacation with his Aunt for the week, and Harley had called it a day not long after dinner, mumbling something about an early night.

So Pepper had spent the evening in a warm bath and a face mask, relishing in the quiet that doesn’t usually happen around Tony Stark and his two teenage protégés. 

So as she sat at her vanity, in the midst of her overly complicated nightly skin care routine she jumped as a voice sounded from behind her.

“Um, Pepper?”

She turned to find Harley Keener stood in the doorway of the master bedroom in pajama bottoms and a hoodie, a water bottle in his hand, and chewing on a fingernail nervously.

Pepper glanced at the clock with a surprised but kind smile. “Harley, sweetie, it’s past midnight. I thought you had fallen asleep.”

She would admit that she hadn’t expected to hear from the 16 year old for the rest of the night.

“Um, yeah, I’m real sorry for bothering you this late-“

Pepper cut him off. “Sweetie, you’re not bothering me, you know that, what’s up?”

She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Harley just gave a weak smile while Pepper got a good look at him. He was pale, not sick, but exhausted. His eyes were squinting, despite the dim lamplight.

“I uh, I was just wondering if you- if you had anything for a headache? I thought I had some aspirin somewhere, but... I guess not.” 

Before Pepper could even react, Harley jumped, “It’s alright if you don’t! I’ll- I’ll be fine! I just...” he trailed off, his knee jumping nervously as he couldn’t figure out an end to his sentence.

Pepper could tell the boy was feeling overwhelmed. Tony had told her that he had been having trouble sleeping the past few weeks, often spending the night with Tony in the lab rather than in bed. Which was why Pepper had been happy to see him having an early night.

She rose from her vanity and crossed the room to him. “Harley, sweetheart, it’s alright, we’ll find something to help you,” she soothed, putting a hand on his back and leading him towards the bed, “sit down and relax. I might have Advil here somewhere.” 

Harley just nodded, his eyes wide and his hands shaking as he sat down on the edge of the bed. 

Pepper went to fish around in the bathroom, returning a few minutes later with a bottle of pills and a damp wash cloth to find the boy curled up on Tony’s side of the bed, arms wrapped around his head. Pepper couldn’t help but notice the slight tremor the teen had.

“Hey, sweetie,” she called softly, sitting down beside him and rubbing his arm comfortingly. “Sit up for a minute, these will help,” she hummed. 

Harley took a shaky breath before slowly moving to sit up. He took the orange pills and downed them with a wince, his eyes never fully opening against the low light.

“Now, tell me where it hurts,” Pepper said, rubbing her hand across his back.

“Uh, the- the back of my head, like- _here_ ,” he mumbled, rubbing at the base of his skull, “it’s- it’s been there all day, I tried to sleep it off, but it was starting to make me f-feel sick.”

“Did you throw up?” Pepper said, grimacing sympathetically.

“No, I- I drank two bottles of water and it died down a little, but- I just,” he grimaced as his head throbbed hard, “It hurts ‘cause I’m real tired, and I can’t sleep ‘cause it hurts,” he whimpered.

“It’s a vicious cycle, isn’t it, sweetheart,” she soothed. “This should help,” she held up the wash cloth, “it’ll help with the pressure a bit, maybe long enough to get some sleep.”

Harley managed a weak smile, his hands pressed against the back of his head.

“Lay down, sweetie, you’ll feel better soon,” she mumbled, rubbing a comforting hand over his arm as he lay down, his eyes squeezing shut as the movement made his head throb more.

Pepper draped the wash cloth over the back of the boy’s head and switched off the lamp, smiling as the boy buried his head in her chest. Pepper wrapped her arms around the trembling boy, hoping that when he woke up, he would feel better.

* * *

And that’s how Tony Stark found his wife and surrogate son, curled up together in his king-sized bed, faces softened in sleep.

He set his bag down quietly, and Pepper’s eyes fluttered open.

“Hey,” she breathed, not wanted to disturb the sleeping teen in her arms.

“Hey,” he smiled back, “all good here?”

Pepper froze as Harley shifted slightly in his sleep, burying himself even further into her arms with a sigh. She nodded to Tony, afraid to make any noise.

Tony just smiled fondly at the pair, removing the warm washcloth and placing it on the nightstand. “I’ll go sleep in the kid’s room. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Pepper smiled back tiredly, letting her eyes slide shut once more.

Tony quickly changed his clothes before crossing to the bed again, pressing a soft kiss to both of their heads before switching the light off and closing the door softly behind him.


End file.
